What Draymond believes is ‘key’ to Warriors winning another ring

What Draymond believes is ‘key’ to Warriors winning another ring originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ championship culture once was the envy of the league, but chemistry issues last season led to an early NBA playoff exit just one year removed from winning it all.

Four-time champion Draymond Green believes Golden State has the pieces in place to return to the NBA mountaintop in 2023-24 — under one condition.

“I think the key to making it happen is everyone buying in,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Zena Keita on the latest “Dubs Talk.” “If everyone is bought in — which I have no doubt in my mind that everyone will be bought in — I think we have the pieces that we need, the understanding that we need, the knowledge that we need, the veteran leadership that it takes.

“I think we have all the pieces that it will take to win a championship — if everyone is bought in. I am someone that took everyone being bought in for granted. And so to understand it don’t always look like that, I think for me coming into this year, it just gives you a larger appreciation for those that do understand it.”

Golden State was disjointed from the start last season. The team’s chemistry was impacted throughout the campaign by everything from a preseason altercation between Green and Jordan Poole to a slew of untimely injuries and an ugly 11-30 road record.

The Warriors have placed an emphasis on connectivity this season, adding key veterans in free agency like Dario Šarić, Cory Joseph and Chris Paul who can build upon the championship core of Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson that’s already in place while also serving as mentors for the team’s second unit.

And so far, everyone does seem bought in to their roles — most importantly Paul, a career starting point guard who has said his only goal with the Warriors is to win, no matter what his playing time looks like.

While last season’s squad experienced a disconnect between older players who know what it takes to win and younger athletes eager for larger roles to prove themselves, Green believes the current Warriors are on the right track to everyone being on the same page.

“I think to get [everyone bought in] back the second time around, you hold on to it as tight as you can because it’s not normal,” Green said. “But I’ve been here my whole career; I’ve seen a certain thing for 11 years. To see that look different was a little jarring for me, and so I’m happy to know that we’re building back towards that because you don’t just get it back.

“But I’m happy to know that we’re building in the right direction. We have guys that are capable of building and actually attaining that goal.”

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